South Carolina’s Backline is a fine example of a modern bluegrass band with traditional sensibilities. Now celebrating a decade as a group, their longevity pays off with a cohesive, distinctive sound that seems natural and uncontrived. Even when playing a hard-driving bluegrass rhythm, their music has an effortless feel.
It says a lot thatTurning New Ground, their fifth studio album and first for the Mountain Fever label, has been out since July but is still producing strong new singles. The latest, Heartbreak Express, recently debuted here at Bluegrass Today. Written by Paula Breedlove and Brad Davis, it’s a hard-driving train song bookended by moody, expressive Dobro licks, and features Katelyn Ingardia singing in her lovely and clear voice about a failed relationship that has her on a train “forever going nowhere.”
Katelyn provides the lead vocals throughout the album and wrote six of the tracks. She has a light, graceful style reminiscent of Julie Elkins (of New Tradition and Kane’s River). Her singing is especially compelling on her self-penned Dark Rolling Deep and Cory Warton’s melancholy Reaping the Blues, both of which have received significant airplay. With beautiful melodies and well-crafted lyrics, they are highlights of this album.
Jeff Partin’s excellent Dobro and lead guitar work gives the band much of the modern part of their sound, while Jacob Carroll plays the muscular banjo that keeps it bluegrass. David Heavner on mandolin and bassist Chris Williamson (a founding member of Volume Five) team up to provide a solid, driving foundation.
Two more catchy singles share a single outlook: Living on the Backline is a breezy, upbeat number expressing gratitude for a simple childhood, while Just Country keeps the theme going with fond memories of home.
The Gospel Way, written by Rick Lang and Lynne & Jim Woolsey, is a vocal trio firmly in the classic bluegrass gospel style, backed by nice Scruggs-style fingerpicked guitar and mandolin. The song just re-entered Bluegrass Today’s Gospel chart this week at #3 after earlier reaching the #1 spot.
Cold Water is sweet and sad enough to sound like it might have come from an early Alison Krauss album, but was actually also written by Katelyn. It is not to be missed.
Turning New Ground was co-produced by Katelyn and Jeff, with Jeff also doing a great job with the engineering. The resulting album is a strong statement of Backline’s considerable talent as they blend old and new, hard and soft, to create their own engaging signature sound.
